Art center opening to feature K.C. Symphony

The Kansas City Symphony who's music has been announced as one of the featured events of the April 18 grand opening of the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center. -- Submitted Photo

By Jason E. Silvers

The Fort Scott Tribune

The grand opening event for the Danny and Willa Ellis Fine Arts Center will kick off with a performance by a world-class symphony.

Fort Scott Community College officials announced Thursday that the grand opening event for the 44,000-square-foot center, which is set for Saturday, April 18, will include a performance by the Kansas City Symphony. The symphony orchestra is scheduled to perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. that evening. Prior to the concert, there will be tours of the new facility and a dedication ceremony, both of which will be open to the public.

The Ellis family, who donated $1 million to the center in 2006 and for whom the building is named, are helping to provide the talents of the symphony as a gesture of goodwill to the community, FSCC officials said.

"It's a gift from the Ellises," FSCC spokeswoman Jill Warford said. "I think it will be really nice -- a great first event to have in the theatre."

Earlier this month, the FSCC Board of Trustees received a final look inside the nearly completed $7.5 million center, which FSCC will take possession of March 26. The building, which will house the Gordon Parks Museum and Center for Culture and Diversity, the Kathy Ellis Academic Hall, a 600-seat theatre, and classrooms and office space for FSCC art, music, theatre and speech programs, is on target for completion by late March, officials said.

Construction on the center began in November 2007 to provide the college with much-needed fine arts facilities. The building, which will provide facilities for college and community use, is being financed through the fundraising efforts of the FSCC Endowment Association, which began a capital campaign to build the center in 2005.

"We are grateful to the Ellis family and all of our donors who have helped us build this facility without using taxpayer dollars," FSCC President Clayton Tatro said. "It will truly be of great value to our community and the region as we provide artistic and cultural experiences for our constituents. We are excited to have the Kansas City Symphony as the first event in the center."

The Kansas City Symphony was founded by R. Crosby Kemper, Jr., in 1982, just months after the dissolution of the Kansas Philharmonic. Under Kemper's leadership, the founding trustees of the symphony created a sound structure for the board and established the initial endowment. Today, the symphony is a major force in the cultural life of Kansas City and the region.

Now under the leadership of acclaimed music director Michael Stern, the symphony has experienced impressive artistic growth. Assistant conductor Steven Jarvi, who conducts the Family Series and Symphony Pops, will conduct the April 18 concert in Fort Scott. The 75-member orchestra, made up entirely of full-time musicians, will play a classical program that evening, an FSCC statement said.

During its 42-week season, the symphony performs a wide variety of subscription, educational, touring, and outreach concerts. The symphony also performs with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Kansas City Ballet.

Prior to the April 18 concert, the public dedication ceremony will feature comments from Tatro, members of the FSCC Endowment Association, the Columbus-based Crossland Construction Company which is overseeing construction of the center, representatives of the Arkansas-based Hight-Jackson Associates architectural firm that helped develop plans for the center, and the Ellises, Warford said.

Tickets for the symphony will cost $25, and only reserved seating will be available. Tickets will go on sale March 23 and will be available by mail and at various locations that will be announced at a later date. For more information, contact Warford at (620) 223-2700, or by e-mail at jillw@fortscott.edu.